Author: Rhys Gregory

The UK’s fastest growing used car retailer, The Trade Centre Group, has reported another year of significant growth in earnings and profit while also becoming the UK’s most trusted car supermarket, according to consumer review website TrustPilot. [aoa id=”1″] In its financial year ending November 2018, the Group’s profits before tax increased 38% to £21 million (£15.2m in 2017) and turnover was up 44% to £257 million (from £178.4m). The results include the first full-year’s trading at the Trade Centre Group outlet in Wednesbury, its three Welsh sites (Merthyr Tydfil, Neath and Abercynon) and part-year trading at its fifth outlet…

Funding to help support a young person from Pembrokeshire entering Higher Education this September has been launched by PLANED. [aoa id=”1″] The Bursary was launched at Pembrokeshire College with partners and the PLANED sponsored Scarlets rugby player, Josh Macleod Speaking about the Bursary, Iwan Thomas CEO of PLANED said: “For this first year of the Bursary, we have decided that the theme and area of focus will be the Tourism & Hospitality Sector. “With tourism and hospitality currently employing approximately over 17% of the workforce within the county, we wish to illustrate and help to promote that employment within the…

A growing bakery is attracting worldwide interest in its gluten free products after winning a clutch of awards. [aoa id=”1″] The latest accolade for the Wrexham-based Village Bakery came at the prestigious Free From Food Awards at the Royal College of Physicians in London. Their mouth-watering Made Without Wheat Belgian Chocolate Twists took gold in the Innovation category after being entered by Marks and Spencer for whom they make them. According to the judges, they had never seen anything like them before and said it was “a significant manufacturing achievement to create such a good gluten free croissant type…

Swansea University will be opening archives and museums, offering campus tours and events in local communities as part of the Swansea Learning Festival. [aoa id=”1″] The six-day free event will celebrate Swansea’s UNESCO Learning City Status and offers a wide range of learning opportunities from art and crafts, languages, music, poetry, film making, health and wellbeing, to employability and entrepreneurial skills. Swansea University will be on hand throughout, allowing everyone in the community the chance to learn across a variety of subjects for all ages. Geography professor Mary Gagen will host ‘A Night in the Bone Museum’ with BBC wildlife…

West Wales construction firms and tradespeople can find out about opportunities to work with expanding Cardiff-based partnership homes specialist Lovell at a free networking event on Monday, 29 April. [aoa id=”1″] Lovell – which builds, refurbishes, regenerates and maintains homes and communities across the region – is inviting local contractors to the Meet the Buyerevent taking place from 10am to 2pm at The Towers Hotel & Spa, near Swansea (M4, J42).The company, which has offices in Tongwynlais, wants to hear from contractors covering the West Wales region from Swansea to Fishguard, including Mid Wales. Lovell regional managing director James Duffett…

ABP Port of Cardiff and TATA Shotton are among the list of just 18 potential sites, chosen from a total of 121 expressions of interest from across the UK. [aoa id=”1″] The Logistics Hubs, and the benefits of offsite construction and consolidation, have been a key pillar of the case for Heathrow expansion. From the outset, there has been a commitment from the airport to ensuring the Heathrow expansion delivers for every region of the UK. The use of Logistics Hubs for pre-fabrication and off-site manufacturing will help spread the benefits and the legacy of this national piece of infrastructure…

The Red Arrows WILL appear at the Wales National Airshow this year after doubts were cast earlier this week. The international renowned piloting team is one of the main highlights of the annual airshow in Swansea, which is enjoyed by thousands of people, coming far and wide to see them. Concerns were raised that The Red Arrows may not appear in Swansea this year, with them cancelling their appearance at the Rhyl Airshow in North Wales due to tour commitments in the US. However, it has been confirmed that The Red Arrows will be returning to Swansea this summer. The…

Principality Building Society will donate £50,000 to two Welsh charities thanks to Wales’ Grand Slam win at the Guinness Six Nations. [aoa id=”1″] Wales’ largest building society is donating a maximum of £50,000 to be split evenly between Alzheimer’s Society Cymru and Teenage Cancer Trust Cymru, after it pledged to donate £10,000 for every game Wales won. Julie-Ann Haines, Chief Customer Officer at Principality Building Society, said: “It was an unforgettable Six Nations tournament and as huge fans of rugby we were so happy to see Wales lift the trophy at Principality Stadium. But even more so as it means…

Eight members of a Newport based organised crime group have been sent to prison for more than 60 years at Newport Crown Court today (Friday 29th March). The gang was responsible for bringing in and distributing nearly £2m of cocaine throughout Newport and the surrounding areas. The eight sentenced today are half of a 16-strong group of defendants who will be sentenced as a result of Operation Finch, which saw the gang being investigated for almost two years by officers from Tarian, the Regional Organised Crime Unit for southern Wales. The arrests took place in June last year following a…

The Football Association of Wales today accepted Colwyn Bay Football Club’s application to participate in the Welsh domestic game. [aoa id=”1″] From next season Colwyn Bay will play their football in the newly formed FAW Tier Two League. The new league will operate with 17 clubs in the 2019-20 season. This means that there will no impact on relegation from the Huws Gray Alliance League to Tier Three this season. Next season Craig Hogg’s team will enter the JD Welsh Cup at the First Round stage on October 19, 2019. Manager Craig Hogg commented: “We are pleased to have been allocated…